


you're safe now

by Nickerdoodle



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Abuse, Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Adoption, Dan Howell and Phil Lester Are Parents, Dan Howell and Phil Lester Are Soulmates, Dan Howell/Phil Lester Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Minor Character Death, Original Character(s), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Parent-Child Relationship, Phil Lester Loves Dan Howell, Teenagers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-31
Updated: 2019-11-01
Packaged: 2021-01-15 20:49:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,951
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21259439
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nickerdoodle/pseuds/Nickerdoodle
Summary: When Dan and Phil go to the adoption agency to look for a child, they come back with a perfectly beautiful yet broken boy. Can they bring him back to their world?Or, the one where they meet a young teen who has been kicked out on their way to adopt a child and decide that this boy is thiers to keep safe.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey yall! I really hope you enjoy this, Im working hard on it to distance myself from reality and all that, so I hope you get as much out of it as I have!

The sun scattered light gently through the room from a crack in the curtains. Phils eyes fluttered open and he smiled to himself as he saw his husband curled up, still in his arms after falling asleep there. He looked so elegantly peaceful, luxurious brown curls randomly fallen in a way that gave nothing but the perfect image,and his arm around phils waist, loosely grasping the older man's crumpled t-shirt. Phils thoughts were intruded on by the alarm that rather unpleasantly yelled at him until he forced himself to shut it up. Phil playfully tugged at Dan's curls, whispering to him to wake up.  
"Hmf? Phil, geroff!" Dan teased, but nonetheless pushing himself up in bed and turning slightly to look at Phil. The younger man's heart still skipped a beat as the sleep he rubbed away from his eyes had fully revealed the way the light from the window fell onto the skin that was the perfect shade of pale, and the messy quiff that the tangled raven hair had been swept into as a result of a good night's sleep.  
"So.." Dan started, hesitanting slightly as he searched Phils face.  
"Yep, today's the day, if you're ready?" the older man was quick to reply.  
"Of course, I'm so fucking excited for this Phil!"  
Dan's exclamation slightly took Phil off guard and he jumped a little at the sudden excitement in his tone. Not much could get Dan this energetic in a morning. Despite this, he immediately joined in with the excitement that his husband radiated. Today was finally the day. The day Dan and Phil were going to go to the adoption agency to find thier perfect child. They had both had long discussions about what they needed to take into account. They knew they wouldn't be able to have a child younger than 6 or 7, both agreeing that it would be unfair to take in a younger one than that, due to their schedules and (lack of) parenting skills of babies and toddlers. They also knew there was a high demand for babies, and agreed that adopting a pre-teen or teenager would be more suitable. After all, this child was going to be the centre of thier lives, the most important being in existence (aside from each other of course) and the thing they would treasure and protect forever. It was going to be perfect.  
After practically jumping out of bed, scoffing down the pancakes that Phil had made especially for this morning, and after Dan had fumbled around zipping up his winter coat, they were out of the door and on thier way. They decided to walk, as it was fairly sunny (though also chilly) and Dan didn't think he could calm down enough to appropriately socially interact with a taxi driver.  
The wind ruffled Phils raven hair that was pushed back into a messy quiff, and made Dan shiver in such a small way that only Phil could notice as they walked along the pavement.  
Dan took a deep breath, the refreshing, dampened by rain smell of air engulfed his nostrils, filling his lungs with a surge of energy and added to his building excitement. He rambled on and on about things Phil could barely hear through his fluffy-hooded coat. On one hand, he was almost glad it muffled Dan's spontaneous spout of words, but on the other he could have used being distracted from the adrenaline pumping through his own brain.  
They turned a corner, walking past a dark alley, when Dan abruptly came to a halt.  
"Did you hear that?" a hushed whisper exscaping from his lips.  
"What?" Phil replied, slightly on edge at Dan's sudden change of mood.  
Then he heard it. A cry, that immediately shattered his heart. It was obvious that whoever was in such distress was trying to hide it, trying to bother as little people as possible.  
Then it echoed from the alley they had just passed, somehow breaking the boys' hearts even more that before.


	2. 2.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW: panic attack.

The last cry did it for Dan. He wheeled right round on his heels and he cautiously, but confidently walked down the alley. Phil didn't think twice, he followed Dan everywhere and this time was no exception.  
In the middle of the alley, a young, shaking figure was sat in the crook of an abandoned doorway, the paint peeling all around them matching how broken they obviously were. Dan kneeled down next to them, a gentle yet sombre look in his chocolate brown eyes. Phil did the same, both refraining from touching the child in case of frightening them. Dan spoke, with a softness that even Phil had never heard before.  
"Hey there, it's okay. We can help you, we aren't going to hurt you."  
Then the figure tentatively looked up.  
Stunning eyes captivated both men. One had a significant amount of aqua blue, a similar shade to Phils own, and the other a green colour, with hints of hazel brown and dashes of chocolate, glossy tears that still ran down his face making them shine. The difference wasnt obvious to a bystander, but it was a beautiful feature in Dan and Phils minds. Brown, curly locks hung over his forehead, pushed slightly back into a subtle quiff and his cheekbones were defined and sharp. He wore glasses, black rimmed frames with thick lenses that only magnified those incredible eyes. He had a slight gash on his left cheek, and now-dried blood had dripped onto his black hoodie. A scape on his knee was visible through the rips in his dark skinny jeans and Phil immediately noticed that he had on one stripey green sock and one red sock with apples on. 

The boy looked back at his feet, and continued to sob quietly, his breathing quickening significantly. This was more than enough to snap the men out of their awe. Sharing a swift glance at one another, they shuffled towards the boy in front of them, and Dan reached out to place an arm on his shoulder.   
The boy jumped, scared by the sudden touch, but started to relax into it when Dan sat on one side of him, and Phil to the other.   
His breathing was fast, and they started to worry he might pass out if he kept that up. Usually, this particular boy wouldn't trust anyone, but these men had been so kind and hadn't intruded, and they just gave off a comforting vibe.   
"Shh, it's okay. Take deep breaths with us okay? In and out. In and Out. You got this." Dan whispered.   
Finally, slowly but steadily, he calmed down. There was a few moments where he had grabbed Dan's hand as he started to slip back into a panic, but Dan had carefully rubbed circles into his palm and that soon put him back on track.   
Phil had also put his arm around the boy, and was gently running his other hand through the boy's hair.   
"I'm Dan, and this is Phil. Are you okay?" Dan spoke in a hushed voice, and signalling to Phil.   
"I-I-im A-Alf-Alfie" a cracked voice relied, breaking from obvious lack of use. He stuttered, unsure about talking to anyone but Dan and Phil had made him feel comfortable enough to respond.   
Alfie felt tears spring up in his eyes. What if he bothered them or ruined their day? What if he made himself look stupid.   
Phil pulled him into a hug, and said "hey don't cry. It's okay, we've got you and you're safe now."   
Alfie melted against Phils touch, feeling so safe and calm by someone he met less than 2 hours ago.   
"you're safe now"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading this! Update coming in a day or two! :) <3


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Damn,sorry it's been so long. I had a pretty nasty depressive episode and lost inspiration, but I'm back now :)  
I hope you enjoy!  
Update soon

Chapter 3  
Dan and Phil sat in the ever darkening alleyway with Alfie sandwiched between them. The young lad had drifted off,his head laid on Phil's chest and still holding Dan's hand, the exhaustion that he had succumbed to from the panic attack slowly starting to disperse. Dan and Phil were quietly holding a whispered conversation,trying their best to keep noise levels to a minimum.  
"What are we going to do Dan?" Phil questioned. "We aren't leaving him here but it doesn't look like there is anywhere else for him to go, judging by the state he's in."  
Dan took another glance at the fragile boy that looked eerily natural curled up next to Phil. His mouth was slightly open, soft noises emitting from it as he slept away his fatigue. The hand that was relaxed in his own was grubby, skin peeling around the nails and dried blood from the raw area, presumably the result of previous panicked thoughts. Then Dan noticed an unnaturally shaped cut, where Alfie's sleeve had ridden up.Gently pulling the material up more, the breath caught in his throat. Many angry red lines stared back at Dan as he felt his stomach drop. He felt a strange concoction of anger at whoever made Alfie feel bad enough to do this,and remorse for the poor boy.  
"We have to wake him up,and see what his situation is right now. After all,we have a bedroom set up for a child and if he really doesn't want to stay,we can take him to whichever adoption agency he wants.," Dan replied, concern laced into his voice, "He's a right mess Phil, and I want to help him."  
" Sounds good to me, shall we wake him? "  
In response,Dan spoke with a louder volume,keeping his tone gentle. "Hey,Alfie, I know you're tired but do you think you can sit up for a second?"  
Alfie stirred, softly rubbing his eyes and awakening from his short nap. At first, panic jolted back through his veins, which Phil noticed almost immediately and rubbed his back, proving successful when Alfie realises his surroundings were safe and his breathing slowed back down.   
"Hey,it's okay, sorry we startled you there. Is it okay if we ask you some questions? You can say no,if you get uncomfortable,okay?"  
Alfie just nodded apprehensively and glanced at Phil, silently asking for permission to lean against him again.  
"Of course, get comfortable it's alright."  
Alfie leaned back,snuggling his head into Phil's chest, keeping hold of Dan's hand the whole time. Phil chuckled fondly, running his hand through the boy's soft brown curls.  
"So,Alfie, do you have a place to call home right now? "  
Hurt flashed across his eyes, but he simply shook his head, an ashamed look on his face.  
"How long have you been living like this?"  
Alfie cleared his throat a little, before answering, "erm, a-around 3 mo-mont-nths if I remember righ-right?"  
His voice was quiet and raspy, scratchy and unused.  
"Would you want to come back to our place? Feel free to say no, we can take you someplace else if that's what you want?"  
He cleared his throat again, a slight grimace on his face. "I m-mean. I wou-wouldn-t mind at at a-all. You gu-guys don't n-need to d-d-do that t-though.I'll -be fi-fine"  
Dan studied Alfie's features. His eyes were full to the brim of overwhelming emotion,all trapped behind the mask of the brave little smile he put on.  
"Me and Dan would love to have you, and we want you to be safe too. How about we go back to our apartment and we can get you warmed up,yeah?" Phil chimed in.  
Alfie just nodded, too drained to form a sentence. The voices kept growing louder and louder, and he was quite simply exhausted.  
First Dan and Phil stood up, then they helped the boy up. Dan took of his coat and   
zipped it up around Alfie,who had started shivering. The act almost made Alf break down again ; no one had ever showed that pure kindness before,and he just couldn't quite believe it.   
"We're only a few blocks away, it shouldn't take long."  
Alfie apprehensively took one of each of the men's hands, feeling secure and safe for the first time in a long time.


	4. Chapter 4.

The three males walked along, Alfie holding onto Dan and Phils hands like a lifeline. They were aware of the boy's quickened, abnormal breathing, he was still panicked and on edge, but despite many concerned looks from the two men, Alfie was determined that they should continue. He felt awful about Dan giving him his coat, as he noticed he was shivering ever so slightly. Anyone who was unaware of their situation would have thought they were a family, Alfie being the perfect mix of both Dan and Phil.   
"Alright, we're here" Dan said, breaking Alfie out of his train of thought.   
Phil unlocked the door, and gently nudged Alfie inside, silently acknowledging to him that it was alright.   
The wonderful smell of marshmellows and general pleasant-ness hit Alfie's nose as he walked inside, and he immediately stopped to take in his surroundings. The kitchen was comically messy, flour and the shattered remains of an egg shell were left discarded on the side, multiple cereal bowls left in the sink. The living room had a comfortable looking sofa, with a noticeable crease in the corner of one of the cushions and a soft-looking black blanket draped over the back of it. A whole wall was dedicated to shelves and shelves of board games and books, video games and films, merch and controllers. Alfie took a breath. This apartment was incredible.   
"Phil! You left a candle on again! What are we gonna do with him, eh, Alfie?"   
So that explained the wondrous smell then.   
Ignoring Dan's statement, Phil looked at the boy in front of him.   
"Aw, Alf, you're shivering. Let's get you warmed up, yeah?"   
Phil nudged Alfie along, leading him down the hallway and into Dan and Phils bedroom.   
Alfie also took in this rooms amazing design. The bed had a blue and green checkered quilt and a few pokémon stuffed toys scattered at the end of the wicker backboard. There was a chest of drawers that had a large variety of candles on it and the pillows were still slightly askew.  
Phil held up an oversized York University hoodie and a pair of jogging bottoms that looked like they'd just about stay up around his waist.  
"I'll just be outside the door, okay? Come outside when you're changed and just leave your clothes on the floor, it's fine" Phil said with a smile, and left,shutting the door softly behind him.  
Alfie swiftly changed into his new clothes, the hoodie hanging over his hands leaving him with something similar to paws,and his jogging bottoms were very comfortable and baggy. Folding up his old clothes neatly and placing them on the bed, he opened the door and gave a small, grateful smile towards Phil.  
Phil returned the gesture, and Alfie followed him as he walked off down the hall, back towards the living room.  
**

**  
Curled up on the sofa, in between Dan and Phil was Alfie, snuggled into Dan's chest and underneath the soft black blanket he'd noticed when he first saw the room. The TV was put on silent by Phil, as Alfie's eyelids were almost closed, the time they remained shut in between blinking was increasing by the minute. Big Hero Six was eventually turned fully off by Dan though, as he knew he and Phil would need to have a conversation that had no distractions. Shifting gently so Alfie was more comfortable, being careful not to wake the sleeping boy, he whispered to Phil,who was just seeing aside the pizza box that the three of them had shared.  
"So what happens now?" Dan asks, without a hint of boredom or frustration at thier situation.  
"I... I don't know Dan. Obviously he can stay, I have already fallen in love with him, but he just looks so.. Broken. I hate to think what has happened to him."  
"I agree, but I'm sure he'll tell us when he's ready. I don't want to scare him away, let's take it a day at a time."  
Phil gazed at the scene in front of him. Dan was running a hand through the sleeping child's hair, the latter curled up, hanging onto Dan's shirt as an infant koala would to it's mother.  
"We really should wake him, let him know he can go sleep in his room if he wants. I wouldnt want him to wake and be overwhelmed at his new surroundings."  
Dan nudged Alfie, gently.  
"Hey buddy, do you want to get to bed now? It's been a long day, yeah?"  
Alfie stirred slightly, eyes opening slowly,his hair on end. He nodded meekly, pushing himself up with help from the two men. They lead him to a cosy room, with stars on the ceiling and a navy blue paint. The bed had a red and teal checkered duvet, similar to the one he'd seen before. Dan helped him into the bed, and Phil turned on the glowing blue lava lamp on his bedside table. The sheets felt fresh yet cozy, and Alfie briefly thought about how long it'd been since he had actually slept in a bed.  
Dan gave his hand one last squeeze before he and Phil left the room, leaving the door open a few inches so that the hallway light trickled in, illuminating a yellow line into his room.  
Alfie rolled over to watch the lamp bubbling in slow motion, and wondered how he got so damn lucky. The shadows still moved suspiciously from the corners and the malicious voices still wreaked havoc inside his mind, but for the first time in a long while, Alfie almost managed to ignore their existence as he drifted off to sleep.


End file.
